Fruition
by bring some peace to your soul
Summary: I was slipping, and not even his strong arms could catch me now. Silver-centric, Silver/OC
1. Prologue: Heartbeat

**Fruition** -- _attainment of anything desired; realization; accomplishment._

Ever had that moment when you can hear your heart beating?

I have.

The slow rhythm, like a steady samba playing in your chest, picking up tempo with each passing moment. Or when the world around you falls completely silent as you're plunged into a place without screams, without laughter, without your name being spoken from the lips of a loved one. Then it all slows down… and you can still see everyone around you, panic in their faces, their mouths open screaming, your name on their lips. Or when you see that look in their eyes: those saddened eyes just imploring you to keep fighting, to stay… it makes your heart break at their expressions: too lost, too broken. It's not a pleasant thing to experience, believe me.

Deep down, I always thought death - oblivion - was painful. Well, it's anything but. In those last moments, your life, everything about your life, flashes through your mind.

Your first steps, your first word, first day of school, birthdays, your friends and family.

I could've sworn a tear came to my eye at the memories as I realize I'd be leaving everything behind. I never thought it would happen so quickly. My best friend, the only one constant in my life could be seen rushing toward me. It looked as if he was running in slow motion.

And even though he can't hear me, my inner voice screamed out, words unspoken but always known: "I love you."

But he's still screaming, and I'm still standing, waiting...

I didn't hear the sound. That deadly, earsplitting sound. I could only watch his reaction as he does instead. Turning away from him, feeling betrayal at my own actions, knowing I'd be leaving him soon, leaving him alone, I stared at my fate...

Then it comes. The heavy slam against my chest as the bullet pummeled into me, the sharp rip through my body, making my back arch, my eyes aimed upward.

There was no pain, just the hitch of my breath and the racing beat of my heart.

And he screamed louder, but then, why can't I hear him?

Then everything became so surreal as I began to fall, into nothingness, into oblivion.

I desperately wanted to see his face, just one last time. But there's nothing, just that fall as darkness creeped into my vision, trying to steal me away. And I couldn't feel the arms wrap around me or the broken pleas holding me tight, protecting me once more.

The screams for "help" are formed from his trembling mouth but his voice seemed to be gone. Too bad. I really wanted to hear his voice...

He looked back at me, tears swimming in those blue eyes as he met my confused gaze. _'Why is he sad?' _I asked, wanting him to answer, wanting to wipe those tears away and sweep him into a hug, despite his no doubt annoyed cries.

But no, I can't. I can only listen to my heartbeat and watch him struggle, feeling his pain…

And as one, I watched his mouth forms the words 'I'm so sorry' as I think the exact same…

I was slipping, and not even his strong arms could catch me now.

All I could hear was my heartbeat as it slowed. I couldn't fight it. But I wasn't afraid. He was right beside me, he'd never leave my side.

With the last of my strength, I forced my lips to twitch upwards, giving him a last smile, dimples flashing.

Then everything went black...

And through the darkness, one word struggled its way to me, like it was needed to be heard... "Silver!"

It was all over and I did it...

I let go.

Death was easy. Peaceful.

* * *

What's that noise? It's so... _annoying_.

I felt awake, alive, but my eyelids were still shut tight. I tried moving them but they wouldn't budge. With one last jerk of my body, I released myself from oblivion and my eyes snapped open.

Taking a look around the room, I could make out a white ceiling. Boring. And then that noise again. Beep, beep, beep, on and on...

I squinted my eyes and tried sitting up but there was a pain in my side that was keeping me from sitting up all the way. It was excruciating. I let out a pitched groan which apparently gained the attention of someone from outside the... room? I'm in a room, okay, good.

"Oh my god, Silver!" The voice shouted.

Suddenly, a pair of slender arms found their way around my neck and another body slammed into mine and I cried out in pain. They backed off. "Oh god, I'm sorry... but, you're awake! Thank God!"

I tried opening my mouth to speak but nothing came. What was going on?

I darted my hand to my throat, clearing it. Anything to get it jumpstarted so I could find out what happened to me...

"You don't remember anything, do you?" The voice asked me again. This time the tone was softer, laced with concern.

I turned my head to look at them but found myself staring at a pair of warm brown eyes, framed with light hair. Annie.

Still not able to find my voice, I shook my head. Annie sighed.

"I'll go let someone know you're awake, okay? Kelly, maybe?"

Kelly... my sister. Well, half-sister. But still family. I nodded my head and watched her scoot off the bed and onto the floor, padding toward the door. But before she left, she turned her head back to me, her eyes sad.

"Liam's missing."

And just like that, everything came rushing back to me. The shooting incident at school, being held, taking a bullet for... Liam? And he was missing? I darted forward, finally finding my voice.

"Where is he?!" I yelled, my voice sounding completely foreign to me, scratchy and hoarse.

But my response came a moment too late as I found Annie wasn't there anymore. I lay back, my head hitting the wall rather hard and I groaned.

Death was easy. Peaceful.

Life was harder.


	2. Chapter One: Realization

**Hiiii. Yeah, Liam is of my own creation, haha. Just think of him as a sixteen-year old Dougie Poynter: http:// i41. tinypic. com/2vwd8bn. gif (take out the spaces)**

**Anyways... on with the, well, technically first chapter cos that last one was the prologue. (:  
**

Liam and I told each other everything.

I knew I could trust him with my life and I reassured him the exact same. Over the years, he was my shoulder to cry on, punching bag to vent out to, where I always felt wanted and safe.

Nobody else in the world made me feel like that. No one.

When I first told him about my mother with her drinking and her drug addiction, he didn't know what to say. But, he didn't need to.

Sometimes silence is best. But not always.

Like, when Kelly left to go see Dylan, taking Sammy with her. And I thought she was gonna stay and leave me all alone...

* * *

_"Everyone I love is leaving me."_

_"That's not true. I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll never leave you no matter how hard you try and get rid of me."_

_"Don't you do that. You can't promise me that, Liam. You can't promise that you'll always be there."_

_"...You're right. I can't. But I can promise you that I can be here for you, right here, right now. If you want me to be."_

* * *

He made it pretty clear that he's a permanent factor in my life, but I couldn't help but have my doubts at times. As hard as it was for me, I let myself put my complete faith in someone. And that someone was Liam.

Sometimes I wonder where I would be and what I would be like if he wasn't around. I shudder as I do so. No, he'd always be around just like he promised. He knows how important he is to me and he's made it evident on various occasions how much I mean to him.

He wouldn't just leave me. That would be breaking his promise.

But then Annie's words echoed in my head: "Liam's missing."

That struck a pretty deep chord with me. How could he be missing?

All these emotions coarsed through me. So many that I couldn't even keep track of them after awhile. First I was angry, then worried... I didn't understand why I was feeling all these things for him. What did it mean?

Before I had the chance to figure that out, the door creaked open again and a blur of curly blonde hair charged its way across the tiled hospital floor. Next thing I knew, my nephew, Sammy was curled up in my lap and tugging at my shirt.

He swiftly turned around, knocking into my side where I was wounded and I cringed, biting back a cry of pain because I didn't want to scare him. "Hurry up, mommy!"

And as if on cue, Kelly entered the room next, leaving the door ajar as she headed over to me. I noticed the caution with each step she took until she was eventually situated beside me. I studied her face; smeared makeup, red-rimmed eyes, quivering bottom lip. All signs that she'd been crying and for awhile by the looks of it.

"Hey," she whispered, reaching her hand out to brush against my hair. So delicately it was as if she was afraid I'd crumble if she touched me.

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Hi."

Sammy lifted his little head up to look between us, wondering why we were so... not Auntie Silver and Mommy loud like we usually were around him. I wonder what Kelly told him for the reason I was here. Surely, she didn't tell him that Aunt Silver got shot, right?

Sammy shifted a little on my lap, pressing into my injured side again and I jerked forward involuntarily and groaning lightly before I had a chance to suppress it. He turned his head up to me and looked at me, startled. "Auntie Silver, are you okay?"

I looked down at him and tried turning my squinted-in-pain eyes into a wink of some sort and nodded, trying my best at a grin. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, dude," I told him with as much confidence as I could.

He grinned back at me and started wriggling more in my lap. I guess Kelly noticed the evident look of pain on my face because she touched Sammy on the back lightly to get his attention. "Sweetie, how about you go back and play with your friends, Annie and Dixon, okay?"

Apparently, that sounded fun to him because his face lit up and he slid off the bed, muttering an 'okay!' before pattering out the door.

When she turned back to me, I immediately wanted Sammy back in here so to take the focus off of me. I knew what she was going to say.

"How are you really?" She asked, her concerned eyes boring into mine.

I bit my lip and shrugged. "As fine as a shooting victim can be, I guess."

She frowned at my sarcasm. I guess that didn't go away after the incident, huh? No answer needed, that was rhetorical.

"Silver, you know what I mean."

I sighed.

Kelly leant toward me even more, reaching out to stroke my hair. "Honey, you were... clinically dead for about twenty minutes."

My mouth dropped open and I stuttered, not knowing how to respond to that. I was... dead? Well, not _dead_ dead. But, still. For twenty minutes? I got so close...

"I almost lost you," she continued, wrapping an arm around my waist tenderly, watching out for my wound. She pulled me into her and I felt her face in the crook of my neck. I held her back, putting my mouth next to her ear.

"But you didn't."

"But I could've."

And with that, she held me tighter as if she was afraid I'd disappear if she ever let me go.

"Kel?" I asked, meekly after a few minutes in silence. Her hold on me loosened and she pulled away, her hands still on the sides of my waist as she looked at me.

"Who... who shot me, Kel?"

She looked away, over my head. She licked her lips and took a deep breath before answering.

"Just... we don't know. It was just some kid. They got him, though. He told the police that he didn't mean to shoot you. He was aiming for-"

"Liam..." Realization struck.

"What?" Kelly asked, tilting her head in confusion. "What about Liam, sweetheart?"

"Liam. He meant to hurt Liam, didn't he?"

Kelly's face changed, meaning that she was finally understanding but I kept babbling.

"Annie... Annie said he was m-missing... how could he be missing, Kelly?! What if something happened to him? What if-"

I guess throughout my whole ramble, my arms started flailing about because my sister had them pinned to my sides and she was shushing me softly. But I wouldn't have it.

"_No._ No, Kel. I've gotta find him, I've gotta..." I tried getting out of her grip but she wouldn't have it either, and grabbed me, pulling me back into her. Her hands found my hair and she stroked at it gently, breathing words of comfort into my ear that I couldn't hear because I had broken down as the realization of everything struck me even deeper.

My _soulmate_ was missing.


End file.
